Graffiti on U.S. Air Force Jet Signals Troop Dissatisfaction

Graffiti discovered on a U.S. Air Force Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker in the Middle East indicates significant morale issues among American service members deployed in the five-month-old war against Iran. The messages, shared by Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, satirically claim that U.S. troops are serving the agenda of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel. Phrases found on the aircraft include "Be a good goy and do what Israel tells you to!!!" and "BiBi's Cucks."

Some of the graffiti references a theory that Donald Trump was coerced into the conflict by Israel using information obtained by Jeffrey Epstein, mockingly renaming the military effort "Operation Epstein Fury" instead of "Operation Epic Fury." Former Navy SEAL Shawn Ryan stated that active-duty special operators believe they are fighting for a foreign country rather than the United States.

While the U.S. has reported at least 18 deaths and 600 injuries in the conflict, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated that Israel has no interest in joining the confrontation between Iran and the United States, describing the current situation as the best one for Israel.